Documents from Iraq are being released

Ever since I read this article, I've been looking for information from the documents it mentions to come up.

Apparently, some of the information from the captured documents we got in the Iraqi invasion is being released, finally. Here's a very interesting piece from the Council on Foriegn Relations.

Judging from his private statements, the single most important element in Saddam's strategic calculus was his faith that France and Russia would prevent an invasion by the United States. According to Aziz, Saddam's confidence was firmly rooted in his belief in the nexus between the economic interests of France and Russia and his own strategic goals: "France and Russia each secured millions of dollars worth of trade and service contracts in Iraq, with the implied understanding that their political posture with regard to sanctions on Iraq would be pro-Iraqi. In addition, the French wanted sanctions lifted to safeguard their trade and service contracts in Iraq. Moreover, they wanted to prove their importance in the world as members of the Security Council -- that they could use their veto to show they still had power."

So, it turns out, as suspected, that Saddam had been cozying up to France and Russia and relying on them to cover his behind on the Security Council. Saddam believed he could do whatever he wanted and he need not fear any action from the UN. It turns out he further believed that if the US should invade on its own, international pressure would soon stop it. Saddam really believed he would never be removed from power.

The Saddam Fedayeen also took part in the regime's domestic terrorism operations and planned for attacks throughout Europe and the Middle East. In a document dated May 1999, Saddam's older son, Uday, ordered preparations for "special operations, assassinations, and bombings, for the centers and traitor symbols in London, Iran and the self-ruled areas [Kurdistan]." Preparations for "Blessed July," a regime-directed wave of "martyrdom" operations against targets in the West, were well under way at the time of the coalition invasion.

Nope, no reason there to topple the regime. Michael Moore was obviously right that pre-war Iraq was a land of peaceful green grass, yellow flowers, blue skies, and butterflies.